Giovanni's World!

Photo credit to babies by bazal I was just sitting here and recalled some of the negative comments (remarks/excuses/whatever you want to call it) that people have expressed towards me since the beginning of my journey with Giovanni. I'll be honest, I do get a lot of support and positive vibes from people, but I also get several negative vibes and I think people underestimate what we go through, so I wanted to share a few of them with you. Some of you will not see these as hurtful because you probably aren't in our shoes and probably never will be. Weeeeeelll welcome to my world! I must say, I've grown a very thick skin these past few years so I brush the dirt off my shoulders quite well. :) Here goes: From a Doctor, "You should have another child, so you experience motherhood properly and nicely, what you are experiencing right now is not motherhood"   From a Christian and active church member of some church I won't mention, "No wonder she...

Observations on the not-so Inclusive Education Policy in Ghana My son Giovanni doing some exercises When I talk about policy, they are the least read posts on my blog. But It's something I can't avoid. I live in a developing country and many of our policies are a fail because they simply do not bare in mind those who are living and breathing the challenges: The current policy on inclusive education is one example. I do not want to make this article technical and so I have chosen only certain parts of the policy that really bother me. I've put into context an article or two that will give you a brief description of the policy. If you would like further information on it, I suggest you go to Ghana Education Service, Intelectual Disability Unit in Accra. This is not an assessment of the policy but I'm just pin pointing some things I already don't feel comfortable with that came up at conference I attended on cerebral palsy and I would like others to be awar...

  Two years ago on Friday 19th June around 8pm I was planning to go have a drink (Malta Guinness) at Feli bees with a good friend of mine Nasei. Little did I know that someone was on his way... I fell asleep and had to cancel my long awaited Malta Guinness meeting. At 3am I feel wet and I was wondering whether I had peed on myself. So I wake up thinking I've had a weewee dream not knowing my water broke! I walk to my parents' room and announce, "Mummy Giovanni is coming", I will never forget how she shot out of the bed confused and shouting "George eeba ei"- "George, he's coming"  and my dad's reaction, "namon ba?"- "who is coming?". "The baby! the baby! Giovanni is coming!" Meanwhile water was dripping from between my legs I was actually having a good laugh at the confusion. My mum said she was going to bath my dad shouted don't bath take her to the hospital now!! Oh gosh gotta ...

"Dear Giovanni, the world is a cruel cruel place. I don't know how we ended up here. People killing each other, rape, defilement, nannies maltreating children...how did we get here? Our very own leaders my love, they talk anyhow forgetting millions are listening to them and heed to their advice. I was just listening to Melodies FM that is 94.3FM, Pastor Dag Heward-Mills Head Pastor of Lighthouse Chapel International  was preaching about tithing and made reference to the song 'Old ragged cross', the line 'the dearest and best ' and said only the dearest and best will be pastors and not people with hydrocephalus or Down's syndrome and people in the congregation cheered on, laughing. How can you preach such nonsense? This is the type of thing that brings stigma with people with conditions that are no fault of theirs. He referred to people with hydrocephalus as water heads and all they have in their heads is water, how can an educated man that people look up ...

1 3th February 2015, I went into the operating room pregnant and with intestinal obstruction, merkels' diverticulum and peritonitis. 13th February I went into the operating room with a feeling that I wouldn't come out alive. I've never told anyone this but while being operated on, I don't know whether I was haluscinating (maybe people dream or halluscinate during surgery) but I dreamt I was in a maze and I was trying to find my way out. I kept running and would get to dead ends and I started calling for help out of frustration, with the walls closing in on me, I squatted and hugged my knees and started to mumble that the Lord should please help me and I didn't want to go. I suddenly woke up and found myself in the recovery room. I suddenly realised that I had survived and my unborn child (Giovanni) at the time also survived. I didn't tell anyone about this dream because I thought it was just craziness and probably hallucination due to the medications. 22nd...

7th January 2017 Our first day in Mumbai and what a hectic day it has been. India has redenominated its currency and the forex bureau in the hospital has closed. I had to pick a tuktuk (rickshaw taxi) to lokandwala market to change money, I left the hospital at about 6.30pm and stood on the road looking for a tuktuk that would go. Nobody was willing to go. I saw a nice looking young man with his son in pyjamas and no hair on his head, looked like they had just been discharged from the hospital. The gentleman realized how much I was struggling and when he got a taxi he offered me a ride. I was elated. Of course I hopped right in, and he seemed quite safe regarding his situation. As we were in the taxi, I thanked him and smiling I watched him interact with his son. They intrigued me because it's always nice to see father/son bonding and also nice to see a father being actively part of their child's healthcare which isn't very common to see in Ghana. Me: Is he your son...

Traveling with a toddler with special needs... Traveling with a child with special needs is really something else. Giovanni has grown taller and bigger and he still can't walk or sit up by himself yet. We took ethiopian airlines to Mumbai for our medical review, I must say the flight was much cozier than emirates. Seats were more spacious although the flight was fully booked. The journey was also much shorter than passing through Dubai and the air hostesses were much nicer. Giovanni has outgrown the bassinet on the aeroplane  and also outgrown average sized changing tables in most restrooms. Now I'm faced with what most parents of kids with special needs face...how do I change my son's diaper? Especially when he does the number two. I truly didn't think this period for me would come so fast but here we are. So from Kotoka International Airport in Accra, two rest rooms I went to didn't have any changing table at all and I had to change Giovanni at the ...